Cassel signed a two-year deal with the club before last season that furnished both parties with the option to opt out of the second year. It doesn't mean he won't be back with the team, but Cassel now has the chance to improve upon the $3.7 million he was slated to make in 2014.

At first blush, it's a surprising move. Rapoport was told that, while the Vikings want the signal-caller back, the feeling is that shredding his contract makes sense for Cassel from a business standpoint. There's a belief from the passer's camp that he can sign a more lucrative deal on the open market.

With plenty of squads looking for help under center, Cassel has the benefit of working with a horde of offensive assistants scattered around the NFL. He also looks better than he should amid a putrid collection of free-agent-to-be passers that -- after Josh McCown and Michael Vick -- nosedives into the likes of Chad Henne and Josh Freeman.